6. The Beast

6

The Beast

I t's always raining in Washington, so I don't know why it's a shock to me as I pull my rental car up to the edge of the woods and discover I'm stuck in a rainstorm. This is stupid. I don't need to investigate the crime scene right now, alone in the middle of a downpour, but I have adrenaline and anger rushing through my veins. It's like there's some internal alarm blaring to see the scene for myself. I don't need a man to help me uncover this case, especially not Jack. Yeah, I'm pretty sure he knows something—something he doesn't want me to find out, but I'd rather discover it myself than muddy up our past .

I grab the raincoat from the backseat of my car and pull it over me before stepping out. Luckily, I have a flashlight to guide me through the small and overgrown trail of the forest. I knew that the place they found the bodies wasn't too far away from Jack's cabin, but as I pass it in the distance, it's all too apparent to me how he is somehow connected to this. I feel it in my bones.

Thunder cracks in the distance overhead, and I jump. I've never been one to frighten easily, but there is apparently a murderous beast hiding in these woods, and I'm putting myself in the perfect position to be its next meal. God, I'm an idiot. But I'm already too deep in the woods to head back. Something calls me deeper and deeper, making me ignore reason. Maybe it's the reporter in me urging me to take matters into my own hands, or maybe it's something more, some instinctual ability. It's like there's a tiny force pulling me along.

I come to a clearing—a clearing that I suspect was the place they discovered the bodies based on the leftover crime scene tape trampled around me. Of course, there's no sign of the carnage. They had carted away the bodies weeks ago.

I don't know what I'm looking for. It's not like I can see much through the wash of rain anyway. If anything, being here may help me paint a better picture of the scene in my write-up. At least if I can't find anything else about this story, I can write a good exposition piece.

I point my flashlight toward the ground, searching for footprints or leftover evidence. Just when I'm about to give up, I see something. I kneel to the ground, letting the rain pelt against my back. In the dirt is a fresh footprint. You'd think the rain would melt it away, but it's huge, the size of two of my hands–leaving a crater in the earth.

A chill runs down my spine. This isn't like any animal print I've seen before. I'm not an expert in tracks, but I know this isn't natural. I have to get out of here, but just when the urgent thought pops into my head, a low and deep growl sounds from behind me.

I jump to my feet and turn around, pointing my flashlight toward the noise. There's not much visible through the rain and darkness, but the glow of bright yellow eyes is almost blinding.

I want to scream, but I know that will just startle the creature more. There's nothing I can do. I'm defenseless and alone in the middle of the woods with a supernatural animal.

Something barrels through the woods to the right of the glowing-eyed figure. I still can't make out the creature entirely, but it seems to be thrown down by something much larger. I can't make out the gold eyes anymore, but I can see the evidence of a tussle. If there's a creature more frightening than the one belonging to those eyes, I'm really in trouble. A creature whimpers and then runs away from the clearing, the sound of mighty footsteps crunching on the ground farther away. But there's a sound of a second set of footsteps heading closer toward me.

I hold my breath, grabbing a branch next to me as a pathetic attempt to protect myself from whatever is coming my way—whatever scared away the beast. The rain softens, and I can see more clearly. As the figure gets closer, its size becomes apparent. It's not a creature at all but a man—an enormous man.